Original subtitles

[music playing]

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): I've always been a quiet, logical,

and emotional man.

I've only had two passions in my life--

my career as an investigator with the district attorney's

office in Los Angeles, California and a woman.

I saw her for the first time in the early morning hours

of Monday, December 16, 1935.

When I got the call to go to the Palisades,

my boss told me to expect just a routine Hollywood suicide.

Like many passions, this one started

with an irrational thought.

It was cold by the ocean that morning.

And I had an impulse to pull her fur up over her bare shoulders

to keep her warm, as if it wasn't too late for that.

My name is Louis Marsden.

Her name was Thelma Todd.

(WHISPERING) Why did you suggest her?

Well, Marsden.

What took you so long?

I know how you guys in the DA's office

love to show up in time to pose for the newsreel footage

when a celebrity kicks off.

It's a life altering thrill to see you, too, Unger.

What do you got?

Not much.

Her chauffeur drove her home from a party Saturday night.

That's the last time anyone saw her until the maid found

the body this morning.

Saturday night, 36 hours ago.

All right. What about the other two?

Who are they?

UNGER: He's Roland West, one of the partners

in this lovely establishment.

She's Jewel Carmen, West's ex-wife--

or, uh, estranged wife.

I'm not quite sure.

She doesn't look too broken up about the whole thing.

Let's put it this way.

Her house overlooks the duplex her husband was sharing

with Thelma Todd.

Cozy, huh?

Sounds like just another typical Hollywood marriage

to me.

What's the verdict, huh?

Carbon monoxide, plain and simple.

Carbon monoxide?

What about the bruises on her neck and blood?

She probably fell against the dashboard when she passed out.

Time of death, I'd say around dawn yesterday.

How's that possible?

Rigor mortis hadn't even started to set in.

Belated congratulations on your medical degree,

Mr. Marsden.

Dawn yesterday.

And I hate to disappoint you, but all we're looking at here

is either an accidental death or just another run-of-the-mill

movie star suicide.

Like hell!

That's my daughter you're talking about, you inept,

ignorant fool.

She would never take her own life, never.

Oh, for God's sake, what's the matter with you people?

Don't you know a murder when you see one?

MAN (ON PROJECTOR): As friends of Hollywood

and throughout the world mourn the loss

of Thelma Todd, whose sudden and still unexplained death brought

an untimely end to the career of one of the silver screen's most

glamorous and beloved comedians.

Known to friends and fans alike as the inevitable Hot Toddy,

Thelma approached life both on screen

and off with an unbridled sense of fun, her indomitable spirit

an inspiration for those her.

The small town New England girl was catapulted to stardom

by her beloved mother and frequent companion, Alice Todd,

who entered Thelma in a beauty contest

the summer after her high school graduation.

Even as Thelma's career continued to soar,

she began to devote much of her time

to the opening of a popular beach front restaurant that

bore her name.

Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe quickly

became Hollywood's favorite watering hole.

Its guiding light has been extinguished now

Thelma Todd is gone.

But her beauty and the laughter she

brought us will live on in our hearts forever.

We'll miss you, Thelma.

Rest in peace.

Mr. Marsden, I believe.

Allow me to introduce myself.

I'm district attorney Buron Fitts, your boss,

the man who left no less than four urgent files on your desk

this morning, which don't seem to have been touched.

Of course, if you'd rather devote your time to watching

newsreels than taking care of the work for which you're being

paid, I assure you that can be permanently arranged.

Look, Mr. Fitts, I'm sorry.

I-- I just can't get the Todd case off my mind.

There is no Todd case.

Look, Marsden, I know how easy it is to get caught up

in the press hysteria.

But I will not have one of my investigators wasting his time

or the taxpayers' money just because the victim happened

to be a celebrity.

Mr. Fitts-- just a minute, Mr. Fitts.

Forget she was a celebrity, sir.

She was also a person, a human being.

And with all due respect, sir, I know this is Hollywood,

and I still find investigating the murder of any human being

worth as much time and money as it takes.

Murder? What are you talking about?

You read the reports.

Every single one of them concluded

the death was accidental.

That's true, but did you get a chance to put those reports

side by side, compare them?

No, I saw no point.

Well, I did.

And they don't add up.

- Really? - Yeah.

Take the medical examiner's report.

He puts the time of death sometime early Sunday morning,

but according to the autopsy, he was off by nearly 24 hours.

There was undigested food in her stomach that wasn't served

at the party she went to on the night she supposedly died.

All right, so she stopped off somewhere on the way home.

At 2:30 in the morning after a five-course dinner,

she had the chauffeur stopped someplace between Hollywood

and the beach because she has a sudden craving for peas

and carrots?

Is that all, or is there more?

Everyone at the party swears she only

had a few sips of champagne.

But according to her blood alcohol level,

she was legally drunk at the time she died.

And I've had no less than six phone calls from people

claiming to have either seen her or talked

to her as late as Sunday night, which means the ME is saying

that a dead woman had a busier Sunday than I did.

That's enough, Marsden.

I beg your pardon, sir.

I said that's enough.

I know what you said, sir.

I just can't believe you don't find this

as disturbing as I do.

It's not that.

It's just we can't--

Well, it's just one.

What are you telling me?

Surely you're not asking me to drop my investigation?

No.

Of course not, Marsden.

We just have a very delicate situation on our hands.

That's all.

And what I'm asking you to do, what

I'm ordering you to do is simply proceed

with complete discretion.

You're not just star struck, are you?

I don't go to movies, Mr. Fitts.

The first time I ever saw Thelma Todd,

she was lying dead in that car.

She was smaller than I expected, all by herself.

And I just kept thinking, she must've been so frightened.

I have to know who did this.

No subpoenas, no pressure, and above all, no press.

I trust I make myself clear.

Perfectly clear, Mr. District Attorney, sir.

I'll be only too happy to answer any of your questions.

I just don't understand why you think any information I have

might be relevant.

You were business partners.

You were living together.

We shared a duplex purely for convenience to the restaurant.

Thelma lives-- lived here.

I live here.

Our quarters were strictly and completely separate,

as you can see.

At whose insistence?

Thelma's, yours, or your wife's?

May I offer you something?

Nothing, thank you.

My wife and I are separated, Mr. Marsden.

But even if we weren't, I'm afraid of all the many emotions

I seem to inspire in women, jealousy is not among them.

As for Thelma and me, I treated her

too well for her to love me.

So let's just say I was willing to settle for the insult

of occasional gratitude.

Look, I know how difficult this must be for you.

Really?

You know what it's like to devote 10 years of your life

to a woman, doing everything you can to avoid being yet

another name on a long list of admirers,

to actually have an impact, to significantly contribute

to her happiness, only to watch her throw it

all away time and time again.

Toddy and I were working on the same lot when I met her.

It became immediately apparent to me

that her talent was being pitifully underestimated

and misused.

And I undertook to move heaven and earth to do something

about it. - Cut!

That's a print.

Ho ho ho, good work, Toddy.

Great.

Next set-up.

I know, I know.

On the surface, it's just another comedy.

But I find the symbolism of a man throwing himself

on a pile of intimate apparel oddly moving, don't you?

Oh, cheer up, Roland.

It's the first night all week no one had to wash meringue out

of my hair.

Good.

Because we're going to dinner.

We are?

How nice.

Where am I taking you?

You're not even remotely funny.

Well, according to billboards all over the country,

I'm a laugh riot.

I'll have you know that's laugh with two F's.

I am taking you to the Coconut Grove,

where we're going to order the finest bottle of champagne

in the house and drink to the success

of that brilliant new dramatic actress, the dazzling Ms.

Alison Lloyd.

Well, you know me.

I'll drink to anything.

And God bless her after all she's been through.

Who the hell is Alison Lloyd?

She's your target.

What?

I just got back from Universal.

The deal's all worked out.

You and I are about to start our first film together,

a Roland West production starring Alison Lloyd

in her dramatic debut.

Well, what's wrong with starring Thelma

Todd in her dramatic debut?

This is going to open up a whole new career for you.

You need a new name.

I'm not about to allow audiences to sit there, watching my work,

waiting for Thelma Todd to make her usual entrance

with a rubber chicken.

Oh, Roland, I love you for believing in me like this.

But I'm doing pretty well with that rubber chicken.

And I've had almost no dramatic training at all.

I'm just not sure I'm ready.

I'm sure enough for both of us.

Believe me.

Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say you love me?

Oh, Roland.

Now get out of here.

I'm going to change.

I want to slip into something more Alison Lloyd-ish.

ROLAND WEST: Six months later, the studio

arranged a sneak preview of the film.

Unfortunately, they invited the general public.

Oh, I don't know.

I think that a woman will make it into something someday.

Maybe a waitress.

What time is it?

What day is it?

Look, if you hated it that much, we could have left.

Darling, this is all the studio's fault.

This is a special picture.

It needs a special audience.

Well, of course.

What were they thinking?

They should have screened it for a few bus

loads of blind deaf people.

I just need to do a little recutting, that's all.

It's not that bad.

Don't you dare sit there and tell me

that the most humiliating experience of my life

was not that bad.

Roland, the only thing that's keeping me

from catching the first train back to New England

is the fact that that was Alison Lloyd who

bombed up there tonight.

At least Thelma Todd still has a career.

Thelma, no.

Please.

What about our future?

Well, I don't know about your future.

But my future involves polishing off the biggest bottle

of champagne I can find in honor of the late great Alison Lloyd.

You're invited to join me.

Alison would have wanted it that way.

So I found another brilliant script for Thelma and me

to do together.

But by that time, her mother had arrived.

You've met Alice Todd, I assume.

Rather overdressed, handsome woman.

Could have had a stellar career as a human torture chamber.

So she immediately took over Thelma's life

and sold her right back into that demeaning bondage, which

somehow passes for comedy in this pathetic town.

You see what I mean, Mr. Marsden?

I saw greatness in her.

I jeopardized my own reputation to guide her towards it.

And she just turned her back and walked away.

Forgive me for this, Roland, but I think most men would have

let her go, moved on.

I don't know whether it's to my credit or my detriment.

But I am decidedly not most men.

So when she slammed that particular door in my face,

I simply found a way to open another one.

And thus was born Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe.

I surprised her with the idea one night at the Coconut Grove.

It's a perfect location, overlooking

the ocean near Malibu.

It'll be a gold mine.

Roland, I don't know anything about running a restaurant.

You don't have to.

All you have to do is put your name on it

and be there to welcome all these terribly famous, terribly

rich, terribly hungry, terribly thirsty friends of yours.

You mean like Toddy's or Thelma's Place or Thelma Todd's

Sidewalk Cafe.

Well, that's lovely.

But there's no sidewalk.

Oh, don't get technical on me.

I like it.

It's kind of friendly and Parisian.

Oh, Roland.

To think that people, important people

would come all that way just to see me, just because my name

was up there?

You know what that would mean to me?

And you and I would be partners.

Yes, with a third party who is putting up part of the money.

Third party?

Oh, wait a minute.

You don't mean Jewel.

You talked your wife into this?

Oh, Roland.

I guess when you're as rich as she is, you can afford

to be broadminded.

Still, I'm not exactly her favorite person.

Excuse me, Ms. Todd.

Compliments of Mr. DeCicco.

Oh, for God's sake.

Who?

Pat DeCicco.

He's an agent.

From what I hear, he's more trouble than he's worth.

Tell Mr. DeCicco Ms. Todd's not interested.

Oh, but Ms. Todd is.

Ms. Todd.

My friends and men who send roses call me Toddy.

Toddy.

I'm Pat DeCicco.

I've been wanting to meet you ever since I got to Hollywood.

Well, what a coincidence.

I've been wanting to meet you ever since you

got to Hollywood, too.

I see you've heard of me.

No, I haven't.

Do you dance, Pat?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.

What about your escort over there?

Well, you're welcome to ask him.

I think you'd look ridiculous together.

ROLAND WEST: It was like watching an oncoming train

wreck and knowing there's not a damn thing you can do to stop

it.

Till the day I die, I'll never understand why Toddy was so

relentlessly drawn to that parade

of cruel, opportunistic back alley slime like DeCicco and--

And?

And all the others.

Surely I can get you something?

Roland, really, I'm fine.

But Pat DeCicco married her.

Well, let's face it.

That's a lot more than you were able to offer her,

under the circumstances.

If you call leaving a woman alone for days at a time,

not letting her know where you've been

or when you're coming back, and using her as a punching

bag on those rare occasions when you are around, marrying her,

then yes, I guess he did.

And she took it for two long years,

until she finally had the sense to leave him.

I'm sure you can guess who she turned to,

to pick up the pieces.

You were just a nonstop prince of a guy for that woman,

weren't you?

Thank you.

It's high time someone recognized that fact beside me.

Now that's when she moved in with you.

I'm sorry, she moved in next door, right?

As I said, it was convenient.

We were about to open the restaurant.

Those were good days with DeCicco gone and the hilarious

insanity of getting ready to open.

I wish you could have seen her on opening night.

She was breathtaking and happy for the first time in so long.

What are you doing?

Don't ever sneak up on me like that again.

I just couldn't breathe.

I needed some air.

You can breathe later.

The Selsnicks are waiting for you.

Fine, I'm coming.

I'm coming.

ROLAND WEST (VOICEOVER): I had no idea who he was.

But I can still remember this hollow feeling, this sense

that something was coming, that neither Toddy nor I would ever

be that happy again.

And I was right.

It wasn't long before it all began to crumble.

[knocking]

ROLAND WEST: Who is it?

The police.

And quit stalling, West.

We'll shoot our way in if we have to.

I'll make a deal with you.

If you lend me my spare key, I won't

say a word about your hair.

Do you have any idea what time it is?

Time?

What is time really when you think about it?

I've had it, Toddy.

I'm not doing this again.

Next time, you can go find somewhere else

to go sleep it off.

Do you understand me?

Ooh, Roland, I just love it out when you're so forceful.

Yeah.

Well, you'll be wild about this.

I've also had it with trying to keep that restaurant going all

by myself.

You can kiss your days as an absentee owner goodbye.

Oh, really?

A group of 14 tourists came to the restaurant

tonight, foolishly believing that because they had made

reservations at Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe,

they'd actually get to see Ms. Thelma Todd.

But guess what?

She wasn't there, so they left!

Oh, no!

Oh, 14 whole people.

Oh, my God, Roland, what is to become of us?

Toddy.

Toddy, listen to me.

We can't go on like this.

If things keep going the way they have

for the past couple of months, we're

going to lose the restaurant.

And you're trying to blame me for that?

You're the drawing card!

You're supposed to be there, greeting the tourists,

greeting your friends.

But no, you can't be bothered.

You're too busy going out every night, going God knows

where with God knows who.

Let's get this straight, Roland.

Where I go and what I do is none of your business.

It is when it's sending us into bankruptcy.

Us?

How the hell much have you invested?

How about 20 hours a day, seven days a week?

Doesn't that count for something?

Oh, apparently not, if we're in as much trouble as you say

we are.

You know, when this whole thing started,

I distinctly remember you telling me

that all you needed from me was my name.

So tell me, why suddenly am I having

to pour most of my salary back into the restaurant every week?

If you don't like the way I'm running things,

I'll be only too happy to buy you out.

With what, your looks?

You mean Jewel will be only too happy to buy me out.

And why would she be so happy to buy me out

of a restaurant that, according to you,

can't make it without me?

I don't have any idea what you're talking about.

Oh, yes, you do.

And I promise you, I'm going to get to the bottom of this

or die trying.

Or die trying?

Were those her exact words?

Did you tell that to the police?

Mister-- Mr. Marsden, I'm afraid I had a bit too much

to drink.

I-- I suddenly can't even remember telling you.

And now if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling a sudden desire

to call my attorney.

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): Alice Todd asked

if I preferred coffee or tea.

I chose coffee.

She served tea.

Sit down, Mr. Marsden.

Thank you.

It's a very cruel thing, Mr. Marsden, for a mother

to outlive her children.

I had a son, did you know that?

He was only 10 when he died.

Now Thelma, this is more than any woman

should have to endure.

I hope you know how sorry I am.

I wouldn't be here--

Don't apologize.

I'm glad for the company.

God knows none of Thelma's supposed friends

bothered to stop by, give a bit of comfort, a little support.

I've been completely forgotten.

Well, I can assure you that's not true.

Roland West mentioned you just yesterday.

I said friends, Mr. Marsden.

I wouldn't let that parasitic filth into my home.

You do know, don't you, why I was so comfortable

with their living arrangements.

I'm willing to bet whatever equipment

he has is purely decorative.

He did at least give me credit, didn't

he, for saving Thelma's career, after he almost destroyed it

with that Alison Lloyd insanity.

Well, that subject did come up.

But that's not exactly how he put it.

Now that you've heard Roland's version,

the truth should be a refreshing change of pace.

The second I heard that Roland West was

on the verge of destroying my daughter's career,

a career I had made possible in the first place,

I caught the next train to Hollywood.

I took my daughter by the hand.

I marched her into Hal Roach's office.

Those are our terms, Mr. Roach.

Take them or leave them.

But I should warn you, if you choose not to take them,

I've already spoken to three other studio heads who will.

Name one.

How dare you challenge me?

I only came here out of courtesy, you know.

I felt that since Thelma's the best and so are you,

the two of you belong together.

Obviously, I was wrong.

Thelma, let's go.

Thanks for the memories, Hal.

Get back in here and sit down, both of you, please.

I have no intention of losing Thelma.

In fact, I've got something very exciting in mind for you.

Why didn't you say so?

I don't know.

I suppose it's been so long since someone hauled

out the old other studio gag, I wanted to hear it myself again

for old time's sake.

Your terms are no problem.

I'll have the papers drawn up this afternoon.

But no more loan-outs.

No more of that Alison Lloyd crap.

Oh, believe me, nobody's more anxious

than Thelma is to have that whole humiliating incident

behind her.

Actually, I wanted to keep having it thrown

in my face for the rest of my life,

but OK, we'll play it your way.

Now what is this exciting thing you have in mind for me?

Get this.

I want to team up you and Patsy Kelly.

I want to turn the two of you into a kind of a female Laurel

and Hardy.

You're Laurel.

She's Hardy.

What do you think?

Mr. Roach, you're a genius.

Yeah, I know.

Thelma?

Patsy and me working together?

You know, she was my first friend

when I came to this town of Paramount.

I love it, Hal.

And I knew you would.

And so will everyone else, you mark my words.

But just to protect the concept, I'd

like to add a potato clause.

A what?

A potato clause.

It's no big deal.

It simply guarantees that you'll keep your weight within five

pounds of what it is today, or you terminate your contract.

Now you'd sign that, wouldn't you?

Yes, she will sign that.

Thelma never had a problem controlling her weight.

And if she does, I'll take care of it.

You have my word.

We'll discuss it later.

HAL ROACH: It's up to you.

In or out?

ALICE TODD (VOICEOVER): Thelma's career

would have died that day in Mr. Roach's office

if I hadn't been there.

But within a year, she was a huge star, making more money

than she'd ever dreamed of.

And with my help, even the potato clause

wasn't that much of a problem.

The only thing missing was the right man.

Thelma had a list of admirers as long as your arm.

Oh, but she was always far too willful for her own good.

And to this day, I believe that's why her marriage to Pat

DeCicco didn't last.

You liked Pat DeCicco?

I thought he had potential, yes.

God knows he was attractive.

He was on his way to becoming an important agent.

It was the oddest thing about Thelma.

She was smart enough to pursue powerful men,

but she never understood how to handle them.

And how is that?

You are there when they need you,

and you disappear when they don't.

You listened, but you don't ask.

You take what you're given, and you make it be enough.

In a way, the demand for attention that made Thelma

a star was the same thing that drove all the really worthwhile

men away sooner or later.

You'd think she would have learned better

from her relations with her father.

His closed office door was strictly off limits,

for example.

But from the time she was old enough to walk,

Thelma thought nothing of bursting right in, even

in the middle of a meeting.

And she always had the same old excuse.

What was that?

She just wanted him to kiss her goodnight.

Well, did he?

Of course not.

Can't reward such selfish disrespectful behavior.

No matter how hard we spanked her for it,

she still refused to apologize.

I don't know what I did to deserve such a willful child.

She did the same thing to Pat DeCicco.

Broke my heart when that marriage ended, but I suppose

it was inevitable.

I hope I'm not being indelicate,

but Roland West suggested there might be another man.

Oh, how encouraging to know he's

learned to recognize a man when he sees one.

Maybe one day, he'll favor us with a vague impersonation.

I'm not sure exactly when they met.

There was a relationship I had hopes for.

This man made Pat DeCicco look like an amateur.

And Thelma had obviously learned a thing or two about priorities

during her marriage.

That night that Mac showed up, for example.

Excuse me, Mac?

Oh, Mac.

Anne McMahon, she and Thelma grew up together.

They were inseparable.

Well, come in, but Thelma may not be back for hours.

Maybe you'd better just get settled in your hotel,

and then I'll have her call you.

You did make arrangements, didn't you?

If not, I'd be happy to do it for you,

although I'm not sure there's anything nearby

within your price range.

Oh, Al, Hollywood hasn't changed you a bit, has it?

You're just as warm and considerate as ever.

But thank you, I've already checked into my hotel.

And honestly, I don't mind waiting.

Oh, but please don't feel you have to sit here

and entertain me, really.

I mean that.

Well, I was reading.

Well, then you just go right back to it.

I'll be fine.

Oh, and don't worry.

I promise not to steal anything or leave any smudge marks

or fingerprints all over your lovely furniture.

I know how much you hate that.

[beeping]

Oh, me, that's her.

Wow.

ALICE TODD: Oh, I didn't tell you, dear.

Thelma is seeing someone.

ANNE MCMAHON: No, Alice, you didn't.

Is that him?

That's his driver, dear.

Mother, I have to hurry and--

Mac!

I can't believe it, is it really you?

Who else would go out in public in this dress?

Oh, what are you doing here?

Surprising you at the moment.

And I may be moving here.

What?

There's a teaching position opening up.

I've got an interview day after tomorrow.

Oh, you're kidding.

That's too good to be true.

Mother, isn't that fantastic?

I'm beside myself.

I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch lately,

but so much has been happening.

So I see.

Oh, God, he's waiting while I change for dinner.

Oh, but I want to stay here.

I just--

Oh, look, I don't want to interfere with your plans.

But oh, I'm sure if you tell him it's

been three years since we've seen each other,

he'll understand.

I seriously doubt it.

Well, I know.

We'll go talk to him together.

I'm dying to meet him.

No, Mac, Mac, no, I--

I just don't think it's a good idea.

It's awfully real to keep him waiting this way, dear.

I'd hurry if I were you.

I have to go.

I'm sorry, Mac.

Oh, it's all right.

It's all right, really.

I don't believe this.

You're shaking.

What do you think?

I'm going to get back on the train and leave in a huff?

A 3,500 mile huff?

Promise me you'll be here when I get home?

Oh, well, I'll just go back to the hotel.

Hotel?

Don't even think about it.

You're staying here, isn't she, mother?

Well, if she's already made arrangements.

Oh, you're going to stay here. Promise me.

All right, I promise.

Now come on, we can talk while you change.

LOUIS MARSDEN: So who was he?

I beg your pardon.

What was his name?

I'd like to talk to him.

I don't know.

You don't know?

Thelma never told you his name?

Did you ever ask her?

I didn't make a habit of prying into my daughter's

affairs.

Ha.

Sorry, a little tickle in my throat there.

Listen, I'm sorry to have to ask you to relive such

a horrible morning, but on the day your daughter died,

you were sure she'd been murdered.

Now why?

- Who told you that? - Nobody.

I was standing right there.

I heard you myself.

Well, you heard wrong.

What?

I believed then and I believe now my daughter's death

was just a tragic accident.

But you distinctly said she'd been murdered.

Mr. Marsden, I feel one of my sick headaches coming on,

and I need to lie down.

I'm afraid that you'll have to leave.

But Mrs. Todd--

Good day, Mr. Marsden.

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): Pat DeCicco, the only man Thelma

Todd ever married.

Roland West said he abused her.

Alice Todd said he had potential.

His house was large.

I wondered if it was built for comfort

or if DeCicco just needed this many rooms to hide his secrets

in.

Well, let me guess.

You decided you had to come out here and meet this monster

named DeCicco, huh?

The man who was so mean to poor, little, helpless Toddy, right?

Yeah, something like that, although I'm almost as

interested in why Alice Todd seems

to be such a big fan of yours.

How much did that cost you, Mr. DeCicco?

You think I bought off Alice Todd?

I think somebody did.

Alice and I have an understanding, that's all.

In a way, we have a lot in common.

Well, there's a thought you could lose your lunch over.

We both loved Toddy.

And we were also the only two people

on the face of this Earth who knew what it was like to live

with her.

And let me tell you something, Marsden,

it was no stroll in the park.

LOUIS MARSDEN: Did you love her?

In the beginning, yes, I did.

You know what?

What?

I've never done this before.

Stop it.

No.

What I meant was I have never made love

to a man in the same night I met him.

Is it true?

Mm.

That rose and two hours of dancing

saved you, mm, at least three dinners and more champagne

than I even care to think about.

I hope you're proud of yourself.

No, I'm just flattered by me.

Oh, modesty does not become you, Mr. DeCicco.

Oh, but it was worth a shot.

What the hell.

I was afraid that if you found out too soon what a big ego I

really had, you'd run screaming out of this room.

Mm-mm-mm, too late.

I already figured it out.

And what do you know?

I don't think I'm going anywhere.

I don't scare that easily.

I don't believe you.

You know what you need?

PAT DECICCO: You want a list?

Silk sheets.

My sheets are good enough for a big deal movie star.

These sheets aren't good enough for the man she's with.

Is it too soon in our relationship for me

to buy you some, or would you like

to spend the next month or two pretending this is just

a casual thing?

You want to buy me silk sheets?

I want to buy you everything you ever wanted.

I want to spoil you rotten, show you off, and make

you so happy you'll wonder how you ever survived without me.

How do I hold up my end to this?

All you have to do is love me.

And be there to kiss me good night.

Boy, did that ever hit the papers.

The kind of publicity that you can't even buy.

It was certainly the best career move I ever made.

Movingly put.

You might suggest that as an epitaph.

Marsden, did you ever go out with a movie star?

Oh, yeah.

All those guys at the DA's office

have to beat them off with a stick.

Well, it has a downside, believe me.

Most of her friends just tolerated me,

like I was along for the ride, like I wasn't worth taking

seriously.

Now the way I saw it, I had two choices.

I could let it beat me, or I could cash it in.

I cashed it in.

I think I did pretty damn well.

And so when the opportunities came

for me to expand my professional horizon, shall we say,

I grabbed onto them.

If she wanted to marry Mr. Thelma Todd,

she came to the wrong place.

I'm Pat DeCicco.

And she just couldn't handle it.

Toddy was at a wrap party for some movie she just

finished filming.

I stayed home because I needed to make some business calls.

I like to make my calls in private.

And I knew she was on her way.

So I locked the bedroom door.

She was a little loaded when she got home,

and she was taking some diet pills or something.

I'll never understand what set her off like that.

Pat?

Pat.

Honey.

Pat?

Pat, please open the door.

Pat?

Open this damn door now!

Hold on just a second.

Don't you ever lock that door on me.

Don't you ever defy me, you understand me?

Shut up!

Shut the hell up.

Now I'll open that damn door when I'm good and ready,

you got it? - Oh!

Pat, no!

No, please.

Open the door, Pat.

Open this door.

All right, where were we?

THELMA TODD: Pat!

We were at the Union.

Damn you!

Leave the door open!

Never lock the door!

Do you hear me?

Look, I'm going to have to call you back, OK?

Open the door!

Pat!

Do you hear me?

Pat, please.

Stupid drunken bitch.

Pat, please open the door.

Please.

Please open the door.

It was the first time I ever hit her.

No, it wasn't the last either.

I'm not an easy man, Marsden.

But I made it clear right from the jump

that no woman ever pushes Pat DeCicco.

And Toddy's problem was even on those rare occasions

when she wasn't loaded.

She just never got that straight.

Doesn't exactly sound like you held up

your end of the bargain either.

I beg your pardon.

Well, how did she put it?

All you had to do was to be there to kiss her goodnight.

I'm a businessman.

I go where the opportunities lead me.

And while Toddy and I were together,

that happened to be out of town a lot.

Like where exactly?

Like wherever, Marsden.

The more I was gone, the more she drank.

The more she drank, the more I was gone.

What about other women?

Oh, you sound just like her.

There were no other women.

I didn't have the time, the patience, or the energy.

What about other men?

Well, that's not really my style.

How about you?

That's very funny.

I'm talking about another man in your wife's life.

What about it?

There were rumors.

Are they true?

PAT DECICCO: Yes, so?

So how did you feel about that?

We were separated nearly five months before she met him.

That's not what I asked you.

All right, I didn't like it, OK?

OK, so what did you do about it?

Not a damn thing.

Oh, come on.

You expect me to believe you just rolled over?

I didn't have much choice.

LOUIS MARSDEN: Really?

Why's that?

I was the one who introduced them.

A friend of mine wanted to meet her,

and they asked me to arrange it.

I hadn't seen her in a while.

So I called her like I was checking in to say hello.

She sounded good.

In fact, she said she hadn't had a drink in four months.

She was real proud of herself for that.

Anyway, she let it slip that she and Roland West

were going to the Grove that night.

And I knew from personal experience

how easy it was to get her away from him.

You're going to have to practice.

You used to be much better than that.

No, we weren't.

We were both just too drunk to care.

Now only one of us is.

What's going on over there?

Did you see who just came in?

I don't know.

I wasn't watching.

My, the seas do part for the privileged few, don't they?

That's power, Roland.

Raw power.

I wish I could see who it is.

Oh, my God, it's Pat.

Pat DeCicco couldn't draw a crowd like that

if he was handing out $100 bills.

Where are you going?

Well, my estranged husband and I

seem to find ourselves in the same restaurant.

I believe this is what's known as a situation.

Far be it for me to be uncivilized about it.

Pat, what a nice surprise.

Toddy, look at you.

You look wonderful.

Thank you.

So do you.

I don't mean to interrupt.

I just wanted to say hello.

Oh, wait, there's someone I want you to meet.

Thelma Todd, this is a friend of mine from New York, Charles

Lucifer.

Ms. Todd.

Mr. Lucifer.

I've been looking forward to meeting you.

Please join us.

I'd love to.

You don't mind?

He insists.

I'm sure you're getting tired of hearing this,

but you're even more beautiful in person

than you are on the screen, which I didn't think possible.

Thank you.

You'd be surprised how not tired I am of hearing it.

I suppose my reputation for being drawn to American women

precedes me.

I guess the same could be said about me and Italian men.

DeCicco is Italian.

I'm a Sicilian.

There's a difference.

There certainly is.

I understand you own a very popular restaurant

near the ocean.

Yes, I do.

We're closed on Monday night, so my partner and I came over here

to badmouth the food.

Are you interested in the restaurant business,

Mr. Lucifer?

I am now.

We must drink to its success.

I'm sorry, I don't drink.

One glass.

I would be mortally wounded if you refused.

To your restaurant and its success

beyond your wildest dreams, Ms. Todd.

My friends call me Toddy.

Mine call me Lucky.

You delivered your own wife to Lucky Luciano?

It's not something I'm particularly proud of.

But when the man says jump, I say, how high?

I don't suppose the man happened to say jump

on the night she died.

Or is it possible he didn't have to?

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): According to Alice Todd,

Thelma thought of Patsy Kelly as her first friend in this town.

I doubted that.

After all the other key players in Thelma's life

had tried to mislead me, why not Patsy Kelly?

I don't remember the last time I was so glad to be wrong.

It's called "Made to Order."

I play a maid who gets mistaken for an English baroness.

Now you know those two men who just locked me in the pantry?

Yes.

I've no idea who they were.

They just pay me enough to make these things.

They don't pay me enough to figure them out.

Actually, I was supposed to start a film with Toddy

this week.

You know when this thing really hit me

for the first time is when I saw them changing

the name on her parking space.

I mean, here was this little man with his can of paint

and his brush just doing his job, and I wanted to kill him.

Look, for what it's worth, everybody

I've talked to says your friendship meant a lot to her.

She said you were the first friend she had in this town.

Oh, that's nice.

Thanks for telling me that.

Yeah, I was there her very first day at Paramount.

I was on salary, which is a polite way of saying that

between movies, I did windows and washed the executives'

cars.

So I got the nod to take the new kid to her dressing room.

And when I saw her standing there, helpless and so scared

to death, the minute I laid eyes on her, I hated her guts.

I mean, just what this town needed, right?

Another gorgeous, skinny, dumb blonde.

So they tell me you're from back east.

Mm-hmm.

How long have you been in Hollywood?

Four days.

Well, if you need any help finding an apartment,

I'd be happy to go with you one weekend when you're ready.

Thanks.

Yeah, I'll snap up every opportunity for the two of us

to get together and chat like this.

Uh-oh.

Run for your lives, boys and girls.

Here she comes.

Is that really--

Gloria Swanson, the one and only.

And may I simply add, thank God.

I love that scarf.

Go to Helms and get me a new one.

Have it back here by noon or don't bother coming back

at all.

Well, well, well.

What have we here?

A little secretary or a clerk, perhaps?

What occupation requires enough stupidity to stand in my way,

staring at me like a beached mullet?

I'm an actress, Ms. Swanson.

And ever since I can remember, I've

wanted to be just like you.

But now that I finally met you, I

want you to know I'd rather have my head shaved.

From that day on, Ms. Gloria Swanson

went out of her way to avoid Ms. Thelma Todd.

And I went out of my way not to.

But you know what I still lose sleep over?

Good Lord, I look like George Washington in drag.

Anyway, what I still lose sleep over is I couldn't have loved

Toddy more, but maybe I could've loved her a little better,

you know?

It always seemed like there was a circle of people

around her, feeding off of her and never giving anything back.

And I saw what was happening.

And sometimes I spoke up about it.

But what did I really do about it, you know?

Oh, they had me outnumbered.

But that's no excuse.

I mean, her own mother, for God's sake.

Oh, do me a favor, will you?

Name it.

Amputate my feet.

Mine, too.

It was a killer today, huh?

I'm missing an earring.

See, that's one of the interesting differences

between us.

I usually just wear two.

Shut up.

Are you going to Groucho's tonight?

- Are you serious? - Mm-hmm.

I can't believe you're going.

We have 6:30 in the morning calls, you know?

Well, it's supposedly a strictly A list party.

What's he going to say?

Come to my house tonight, I'm having a bunch nobody's over?

I'd have a lot more fun if you were there.

Forget it.

I need my eight hours sleep.

Eight hours?

Here.

Take these, then you only need two or three.

Keep it.

Mother's getting that prescription refilled

in the morning.

I wouldn't touch these with a 10-foot pole.

Well, you would if your career depended on it.

Here, hook me up, OK?

See?

A perfect size 6 and more energy than I know what to do with.

And you know what else?

What?

I'd trade places with you anytime you like.

I watched her party seven nights a week.

I watched her live on champagne and pills.

Sometimes I spoke up about it.

Sometimes I gave her a hug when she needed one.

So what?

It didn't add up to much in the end, did it?

Did it ever affect her work?

Not until she married that baboon, DeCicco.

Have you had that pleasure yet?

Yesterday.

Lovely man, isn't he?

Yeah, he's an agent like I'm the queen mother.

But even then, there was only one morning

when she wasn't right on time on her mark, lines learned

and ready to go.

Come on, let me look at it.

How bad can it be?

That bad, huh?

Oh, Patsy, what am I going to do?

Leave the bastard.

No, I mean now.

No amount of makeup in the world is going to cover that up.

[knocking]

Toddy, it's Hal.

I hear there's been some kind of a hold-up.

What's the problem?

Toddy?

Oh, God.

This is all I need.

I can't face him.

I'll take care of it.

OK.

HAL ROACH: Toddy.

Patsy, what the hell is going on?

I'm sick, Hal.

Toddy won't come out of her dressing room

because you're sick?

She's been taking care of me.

It's a female thing.

I'd be happy to go into detail for you if you want me to.

No. No, I don't want--

no.

I'm sorry, I need to go home.

But I'll be back first thing in the morning, good as new.

Promise. - OK.

Do what you have to do.

I mean, if you need a doctor, either one of you,

just let me know.

I will.

Thanks.

Oh, thank you, Patsy, you saved my life.

Then why do I feel like I just joined the campaign

to help shorten it?

It's OK.

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): People

typically choose their words carefully when a DA

investigator's in the room.

But there was nothing typical about Jewel Carmen.

Quite frankly, Mr. Marsden, I hated her.

Given the circumstances, I'm not surprised.

Ah, yes, the circumstances.

My husband's famous unrequited love for the late, great Thelma

Todd.

You think I was jealous, is that it?

How conventional of you.

Look around.

You see before you concrete proof

that nothing is more transitory or more destructive than love.

Roland is a broken, pathetic man because of it.

Toddy is dead because of it.

I, on the other hand, seem to have come out of this nightmare

perfectly intact.

Do you know why?

I'd love to hear it.

It's very simple.

I understand the only basic law of human nature.

Love walks.

Money talks.

Money is the only truly lasting power there is, Mr. Marsden.

Any woman can get a man to fall in love with her.

But a smart woman prefers a man who's weak enough

to be dependent on her.

Because that's the one man who will never leave.

Toddy was not a smart woman.

That's why I hated her.

Well, maybe she was learning.

She walked out on Pat DeCicco.

She learned nothing from Pat DeCicco.

Anyway, he was gone by the time we opened the restaurant.

But he'd been replaced.

And despite the fact the restaurant

could have provided her with real independence

for the first time in her life, that stupid, stupid woman kept

following her heart right out the door.

Of course, Darryl.

And where do you think you're going?

Well, I think I'll go out for a while.

Not a chance.

The Zanucks and the Thalbergs will be here in half an hour

expecting to see you.

What am I supposed to tell them?

Tell them dinner is on me.

Trust me.

They'll appreciate it a lot more than the infinite pleasure

of my sparkling repartee.

Really?

And what kind of profits are we supposed

to make if you continue providing

free meals for the wealthiest customers we've got?

Oh, Roland, I don't have time for this.

Could you two speak up a little?

There's a table in the corner that can't quite hear you.

Thelma's leaving again.

I'm sure she is.

And you think whining at her at the top of your lungs

is going to stop her?

See, Roland, Jewel understands.

No, Toddy, Jewel doesn't.

Make no mistake about that.

I just know a lost cause when I see one.

So you agree with your husband.

You think the restaurant was going under because it didn't

mean enough to her.

Is that what he thinks?

You know, Roland once considered becoming a surgeon

like his father.

God only knows how many innocent lives were saved when he went

into showbiz news instead.

This restaurant was one of the most important things

in the world to her.

That's what makes the irony of all of this so cruel.

Somehow, she managed to put something

that was so important to her in serious jeopardy.

And it was more than she could handle.

That's why we were going under, Mr. Marsden.

I don't know what the connection was, and I don't want to know.

But I think Thelma finally followed her heart straight

to her grave.

This just doesn't make any sense.

I mean, I deposited my last two paychecks three days ago.

There should be more than enough money in here

to cover everything.

Well, I can cover it for now, but I agree with you.

Something definitely is not right.

I think maybe we should hire an auditor.

Oh, and I spoke to an architect this morning about expanding

into that spare room.

[knocking]

Excuse me, Ms. Todd, but the boss needs to see you.

Oh, really?

Well, tell the boss I'm busy.

He can call first next time.

You don't really want me to tell him that, do you?

He says it's important.

All right, I'll be there in a minute.

Well, he's waiting.

I said, I'll be there in a minute.

I'm not sure how long this is going to take.

I'll be back as soon as I can.

Do you want to tell me what's going on?

You don't want to know.

I do if it affects this restaurant.

Now you listen to me, and you listen closely.

You want to play with my husband, be my guest.

I'll even fluff your pillows and light your cigarettes

afterwards.

Play with my money, on the other hand,

if what you've gotten yourself into costs me one dime,

you won't even live long enough to regret it.

Just a figure of speech, you understand.

If you think I'd repeat that under oath,

you're out of your mind.

You should have brought a witness, Mr. Marsden.

As it is, it's only your word against mine.

This conversation never took place.

It's all right.

I'll deal with that when the time comes.

Count on it.

But for now, let's get back to this Mousey character.

I don't suppose you happened to catch a last name.

We were never formally introduced.

If I had to guess, though, I'd say it probably

ends in a vowel.

But come to think of it, there was a picture of him

in the newspaper recently.

According to the caption, he's had an unexpected change

of address to Alcatraz.

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): I'm interested in Lucky's

relationship with Thelma Todd.

You want to know, did they have a thing going?

Sure they did.

Was it serious, like, was he in love or something, who the hell

knows?

Personally, I don't think the guy knows

how to spell the word.

But was he hooked on her?

In spades, like a big stupid fish right from the get-go

the first second he laid eyes on her.

She was so beautiful.

Anyways, as soon as Lucky dumped DeCicco off,

he had me load the limo with champagne,

and I drove the two of them up the coast

to that restaurant of hers.

So tell me, why do they call you Lucky?

A few business associates and I

were on the receiving end of some machine gun fire

from a passing car.

My associates died at the scene.

I walked away without a scratch, even though I was, uh,

talking a bit, complements of Mr. Capone.

Anyway, this story got around.

And I became known as Lucky.

And who was I to argue?

So everything they say about you is true.

I could ask the same of you, you know.

Oh, look.

There it is.

This is a perfect location.

You're looking at the best thing that ever happened to me.

See that sign?

Thelma Todd's.

I finally have something to point to and say, this is mine.

My name matters.

I matter.

Come on.

Let's take a walk on the beach.

Mm, no.

Beaches are sand.

City boy, the only thing sand is good for is to mix cement.

I hate sand.

I will be mortally wounded if you refuse.

Mousey, we're going for a walk on the beach.

Check it out.

Right, boss.

Check out the beach?

What's the matter?

Are you scared?

Just cautious.

Sorry you never heard of it.

You think it's funny.

I think it's hilarious.

Come here.

No.

What did you say?

I said no.

You come here.

Where are you going?

Work.

No.

You think I wouldn't rather stay here with you?

Oh, please, don't do this.

No, I hate early calls enough as it is.

So be late.

What are they going to do?

Start without the star?

They could fire me if they wanted to.

I thought they freed the slaves in this country.

I don't think a man with as many women working the streets

as you have has any right to criticize.

Don't ever bring that up again or any other part

of my business.

Just what I need, another Pat DeCicco.

Don't compare me to that low rent errand boy.

Oh, Toddy.

It's important for me that you know this.

My business is just what I do.

It's not who I am.

You believe that?

I believe that.

May I go now?

Temporarily.

THELMA TODD: When will I see you again?

Very soon.

I'm going to be here a while.

And while I'm here, you're spoken for.

Capiche?

THELMA TODD: Capiche.

[bell]

God, you're quick.

Where were you?

Right outside the door, where he belongs.

All night?

Well, I don't think I've ever seen two men work quite this

closely before.

Just out of curiosity, Mousey, did the earth

move for you, too?

Shall we?

Is Thelma Todd the reason that Luciano started

making regular trips out to LA?

She was part of it, sure, but all of it, come on.

Lucky wanted a whole lot more than Thelma Todd.

He wanted Hollywood, the whole time.

He wanted to own it, sewed up in his hip pocket.

How?

According to the DA files, Frank Nitty and

what's left of the Capone organization

have already moved in out here.

That's the point.

What was left of Capone was easy to take care of.

Then Lucky focused his attention on Nitty.

He was willing to do anything to muscle him out,

even if it meant putting a hit on him.

Needless to say, Nitty knew it, and he didn't

take too kindly to it either.

Lucky paid me real well.

Sometimes it was enough.

Sometimes I thought I deserved a bonus, like that time we were

leaving the Coconut Grove by the back entrance.

Look out, get down!

[gun shots]

Are you OK?

I'm so sorry.

I can't do this.

I can't put you in danger like this.

We've got to stop seeing each other until this blows over.

I love you, Toddy.

I love you.

What?

Come on.

I'll have Mousey drive you home.

No.

No.

I want to go with you.

Please?

Are you sure?

Did you mean what you said?

That you love me?

I meant that.

Then yes, I'm sure.

You know, Marsden, I'm glad you're here.

I'm glad you're checking this out.

It's not my place to have opinions,

but I got to tell you, compared to the bimbos Lucky usually

dragged around, Ms. Todd, she was OK.

She's the only one never treated me like a piece of furniture.

I really appreciated that.

Anyways, things didn't heat up between them

until after her divorce from DeCicco was final.

So do you think Luciano was planning to marry her?

If that's what it took.

The boss wasn't stupid.

He waited until she trusted him before he went to the cafe

for the first time.

Welcome to Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe.

This being a Monday, I have the rare pleasure

of offering you the table of your choice with no food

whatsoever.

But I'm sure you'll find the ambiance chic, and yet at

the same time, eerily uncrowded.

It's nice.

Very nice.

May I offer you an amusing glass of wine perhaps,

compliments of our hostess, the very glamorous movie star.

What's up there?

A storeroom in the office.

Mousey.

It's perfect.

Really?

You think so?

You know, actually, I think it would look better

with the paint cans over there and the cases of beets

kind of centered.

Toddy, I could make you a fortune with this room.

What are you talking about?

This restaurant is packed every night.

And you're still losing money, am I right?

How do you know that?

I make it my business to know that.

Now you turn this room over to me,

and I'll have you in the black within a month.

Would you like to know how?

I want to make this into a casino.

What?

Strictly first class, strictly private, everything

done, taste and discretion.

A kind of casino with Thalbergs, Zanucks, Cagneys, and Gables

of the world are going to feel comfortable and protected

while they drop all that nice money into our pockets.

Lucky, I hate to break this to you, but this is California.

Gambling is illegal here.

The police would have--

The police will be no problem.

You have my word.

And you have my word.

Forget it.

I will not let you put a casino in here not in a month,

not in a year, not in my lifetime.

You don't understand.

Oh, I think I understand perfectly.

Don't forget I know how you work.

The minute I say yes to a casino, you've got me.

And from that moment on, either I

go along with any kind of felony you care to commit here--

drugs, prostitution, gun running,

whatever-- or you have me busted.

And then one day, I look up and all my life

has come down to is a choice between one kind of prison

or another.

Well, thank you very much, but no thank you.

That's-- Toddy.

Toddy.

Toddy, it'll stop at the casino.

I swear.

It stops now, Lucky.

The answer is no.

Let's drink to the success of your restaurant, Ms. Todd.

Get out.

You believe that?

Get out.

Let's go somewhere and talk.

Get out!

You need to think.

I understand that.

We'll talk tomorrow.

You call me.

MOUSEY (VOICEOVER): Lucky waited.

But Ms. Todd, she never called.

You know, Marsden, I was kind of proud of her for that.

But I also know what a bad sport the boss

was about being ignored.

Now that didn't hurt, did it, Mister--

what the hell is his damn name?

Lochenspiel Toddy.

Lochenspiel?

I mean, Lochenspiel-- this is the eighth take.

I'm sick of this.

Why can't his name be Smith or Domes?

Lochenspiel is funnier.

Not if I can't remember it, it's not.

And I'll be in my dressing room until you're ready.

What's going on with you lately?

Oh, give me a break, Vincent.

Don't you stand there, Mousey.

Ms. Todd needs a glass of water.

How the hell did you get in here?

Lock the door on your way out.

Please, Mousey, don't do this.

I'm sorry, Ms. Todd.

All right, say what you have to say, and then get out.

I'm at work, for God's sake.

You didn't leave me any choice.

You've been avoiding me for a week.

A man not known for his patience--

What do you want?

Your decision on the casino.

I think when you hear what I have to say--

I gave you my decision.

Whatever you have to tell me won't change my mind.

Your restaurant is losing money.

It's going to continue to lose money.

The more you pour into it, the more you're going to lose.

Reason for that is very simple.

Name is Frank Nitty.

Who?

Frank Nitty.

Controls every union your restaurant deals with.

Between kickbacks and payoffs, every dime of profit you turn

goes straight into the Nitty's pocket.

OK, fine.

I'll find some way to stop him.

[laughs] You?

I see.

You're going to stop him.

Grow up, Toddy.

No one can stop him but me.

He's too big.

He's everywhere.

He's even branching into the movie business

now, working his way in through the unions, from the bottom up.

Fortunately, that's a mistake.

What I know that he doesn't, the way

to own this industry, and therefore this town, is you

start at the top--

stars, producers, studio heads, everyone who frequents

Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe.

Oh my God.

All of whom would only be too happy to finish off a fine

meal, a nice bottle of wine, step across the hall,

and drop a bundle in an elegant, highly discreet,

well-protected casino.

You don't really believe that Jack Warner and Louie B. Mayor

would be stupid enough to gamble away their studios?

Of course not.

But we'll extend them generous credit,

which they will be stupid enough to gratefully accept.

Before long, I'll hold the markers of the most powerful

people in this town.

And believe me, when I own a man's marker, I own the man.

And when I own the right men, I'll own Hollywood.

And Frank Nitty will be nothing but an ugly memory.

You and I will be wealthier and more respected than either

of us ever dreamed possible.

Or look at it this way.

It would be a lovely way to thank me for your freedom.

What?

You think Pat DeCicco suddenly went off by himself

and decided to grant you divorce?

Or the courts pushed it through so quickly out of the kindness

of their hearts?

Now armed with more information than is even safe for you

to know, would you care to reconsider your decision?

I was afraid of that.

MAN (ON PHONE): Yeah, well, she's told me everything.

Tell them you don't want trouble.

OK.

No, I don't know yet.

MAN (ON PHONE): Well, you better know.

I need to think.

MAN (ON PHONE): All right, all right.

Now I'll go back to you.

MAN (ON PHONE): OK, I'll be here.

[mutters]

She called the-- she called the DA's office.

Made an appointment.

How much does she know?

Too much, thanks to me.

Much too much.

Well, that's not necessarily a problem, is it?

Who's the appointment with?

Fitts.

Did she do it?

Did she keep that appointment?

What?

You don't know?

The day after that phone call, the Feds

clamped the murder charge on me.

And my goombah Lucky cut me loose.

11 years I laid my life on the line for that rat bastard.

All of a sudden, he never heard of me.

Anyways, what I just told you, I don't know a damn thing.

No, she never kept that appointment.

I never thought these words would come out of my mouth,

but I mean this.

I'm real sad for that lady.

Yeah.

Aren't we all?

BURON FITTS: OK, let's hear it.

What have you got?

Murder, Mr. Fitts.

You're sure?

Yes, sir.

And am I safe in assuming you haven't discussed your findings

with anyone, the press, the police?

No, sir, just you.

Good.

It would be a huge mistake to leak something

this big until we have a solid case.

We don't want to give anyone time to cover their tracks.

And you better be damn convincing, Marsden.

I'm not turning this over to the grand jury on nothing

more than a bunch of half-baked theories.

I've got a lot more than that, sir.

I've got everything we need, including a list of witnesses

whose testimony will prove that Thelma Todd probably didn't die

until early Monday morning, 36 hours

after the medical examiner's estimate.

And I can reconstruct most of those 36 hours.

I'm listening.

The chauffeur said he picked her up at 7:45 on Saturday

night to take her to a party.

One more time, I'm locking this door at 2 o'clock.

If you don't have your key, be home by then

or sleep on the damn stairs for all I care.

Because I'm not getting up to let you in.

Do you hear me?

Roland, everyone within a 50 mile radius hears you.

Now shut up about it.

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): She arrived shortly before 9:00.

According to the others at the party,

she wasn't drinking much that night.

And she seemed to be having a good time,

until an unexpected guest showed up.

Toddy, this is a surprise.

What are you doing here?

Well, I convinced Ida that it wasn't

going to be a problem inviting us to the same party.

Well, you were wrong.

Would you excuse us for a minute please?

Forget it.

Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of her.

Fine.

You set me up, you bastard.

You knew exactly why your little friend wanted to meet me,

and you went right along with it anyway.

And I'm going to make you pay for this.

Why don't you grab--

Oh, yeah, good idea.

Oh, that's--

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): DeCicco's date

said that's all she heard, and he

refused to talk about it later.

But she said Thelma was very shaken when she and DeCicco's

came back inside.

DeCicco's and the girl left shortly after that,

but we know that Thelma stayed until much later.

At 1:30, she asked Sid Grommin, a friend of Roland West's,

to call and tell West she was on her way home

and to wait up to let her in.

But as she was leaving, one of the waiters

told her someone wanted to see her.

From the waiter's description and from what he overheard,

I'm sure it was Vinny Corelli, one of Luciano's lieutenants.

Put the car in the garage and go home.

I don't want to leave you, Ms. Todd.

Peters, just go.

Get out of here.

Yes, ma'am.

Let's take a drive.

We need to talk.

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): Early Sunday afternoon, Mrs. Wallace

Ford received a phone call.

Hello?

THELMA TODD (ON PHONE): It's Toddy.

I'm sorry, what?

THELMA TODD (ON PHONE): I said it's Toddy.

Oh, hi, darling.

What's wrong with your voice?

THELMA TODD (ON PHONE): Nothing.

You're not sick, are you?

THELMA TODD (ON PHONE): No, no.

I mean, you're still coming to the party tonight?

THELMA TODD (ON PHONE): Yes, I just--

I'll be there.

I just wanted you to know I'll be a little late.

I don't know.

Toddy?

Hello?

Toddy?

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): She never made it to the party.

And none of her friends ever heard from her again.

Late Sunday evening at approximately 11 o'clock,

Mr. and Mrs. George Brill, a couple from Ohio,

happened across a Phaeton matching the description

of Luciano's, with a man and a woman inside

in a cul-de-sac south of Wilshire.

They were lost, so--

You want me to interrupt that?

I don't care.

Ask them.

We've been driving around here for over an hour,

and I'm tired of it.

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): The Brills thought the woman looked

familiar from a distance, but they couldn't place her.

Admit it.

OK, I admit it.

But it's not going to change anything, Toddy,

can't you understand that?

No, you can change it if you want to.

I've got no choice!

GEORGE BRILL: Forgive me, folks, but--

Beat it!

My wife and I are lost.

I wonder if you could tell me how to get to Holly Ridge.

No.

Three blocks south and to the left.

Wait a minute.

That was Thelma Todd.

Will he testify?

LOUIS MARSDEN: I'm working on it.

But I think Luciano got to him before I did.

I showed him Lucky's mugshot and asked if he could identify him

as the man in the car, but he said no without even glancing

at the photo.

But before his amnesia set in, he

swore he saw Thelma Todd alive in Luciano's car in Beverly

Hills as late as 11 o'clock Sunday night.

Now, I can't prove what happened after that,

but I can make a very educated guess.

Sometime after the Brills saw them,

Luciano must have driven Thelma back

to the duplex above the restaurant.

Toddy, I'm begging you, change your mind.

I can't.

Then there's nothing more I can do.

Goodbye, Toddy.

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): She wasn't driving that night,

we know that.

So there was no reason on earth for her to be in the car

when she was found.

We also know she didn't go to the duplex

and come back to her car again.

For one thing, she would have had to wake up Roland West

to let her in.

And why wouldn't she have changed her clothes?

Why did she die in the same clothes

she'd worn to that party some 36 hours earlier?

There's only one possible reason she never made it to her door.

Luciano was too smart to stop her himself,

so he just paid someone to do it for him.

Luciano wanted it all.

And she got in his way.

All Thelma Todd ever wanted was someone to kiss her good night.

Well, you've done a fine job, Lou.

Damn fine job.

I'll tell you what.

Your family lives up near San Francisco, right?

Why don't you take a few days off and spend the holidays

with them?

You've more than earned a little vacation.

Thank you, sir.

But I don't think so.

I've come to care a lot about this case.

And I really--

And so have I, thanks to you.

That's why I want to handle it personally from here on in.

We're going to the grand jury, Lou.

I'm going to make that phone call right now.

So you better take a break while you've got a chance.

You're going to be my star witness.

Well, that's great news, sir.

I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that.

And I'm really looking forward to it.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

LOUIS MARSDEN (VOICEOVER): I was about 200 miles south

of San Francisco when the accident happened.

I don't remember much about it, but the highway patrol report

listed the cause as defective brakes.

By the time I regained consciousness,

my file on the Thelma Todd case had vanished,

and the grand jury hearing was over.

Pat DeCicco was never called to testify,

and Lucky Luciano's name was never even mentioned.

The grand jury handed down a verdict of accidental death.

With Thelma's death, the cafe died, too.

Alice Todd told the press she was relieved that the truth

finally come out.

Roland West went into seclusion, where his failing health

led to a nervous breakdown.

On his death bed, he said he killed Thelma Todd,

a confession only he believed.

Pat DeCicco went on to become a vice president of United

Artists Theaters.

Lucky Luciano never returned to Los Angeles

after the day Thelma died.

And my former boss, Buron Fitts came

to be known as the head of one of the most corrupt

administrations in the history of the Los Angeles District

Attorney's Office and ultimately took his own life.

No one ever paid for the death of Thelma Todd,

so I guess in the end, just like everyone else,

I failed her, too.

I'm sorry, Thelma.

I'm sorry.

[music playing]